It’s hard to know where to begin, writing about one of the greatest breakin adventures in the history of Bradford’s hip hop/breaking scene. Two members of the Clean North Crew ventured across the world to Wuxi, China. An opportunity for the Youth Olympics was presented and they pushed themselves to be ready for what may lay ahead . The young rising talent Bgirl Ammo and the leader of the crew Bboy Tranquil were pushed to new limits, overcoming challenges and bringing their mindset to a higher level. For them it felt like being transported to a whole new world, different rules, systems, culture and a vastly different language.
It took years of hard work and dedication across multiple generations to arrive at this point in time. God’s guidance and provision over the last 25 years has led to Bradford holding some of the best bgirls (female dancers), not only in the UK but also beyond our borders. The members of Clean North excel in the physical aspects of the dance but also embody and uphold the authentic history and legacy of our city’s hip hop culture, which is of great importance.
This journey was not taken lightly and once again it made us assess our values and what we stand for at Tech Styles International. It also reinforced what Clean North stands for as a crew and the wider Bradford scene. The world was asking is breakin an art or a sport? The Olympics put the culture to the test and we were asking ourselves should we be involved in an event like this?
Clean North approach the dance from a balanced perspective, breakin is an artform, a culture, a movement and way of life. It has always been this way in Bradford. We used the words bboy/bgirl opposed to breakdancer to make the distinction between someone who lives the culture, and the latter as someone who just partakes of the physical aspect only and in some cases exploit the dance. That being said, breakin is a physical artform and as such bboys/bgirls approach this from the stance of a warrior, an athlete. For example boxing, martial arts or basketball which are considered sports. To an outsider the boundaries between sport and art can become blurred.
Up until this point Clean North had not really been involved with any of the World Dance Sport Federation events (WDSF The formal body organising breaking participation in the olympics) however Ammo was given the opportunity to enter an event in London, which winning would result in a WDSF event for China in connection for the Youth Olympics, we were initially told. We decided to take this opportunity but to represent the culture as an artform and be a voice and presence.
Ammo took a clean sweep in London representing Clean North and the Bradford Style to the fullest with Tranquil by her side supporting her. The judges, organisers and competitors all giving respect and props seeing a bright future. It was an amazing moment and exciting for both of them but there was no time to waste the trip was a few weeks away and there was tons of planning to do if this trip was to become a reality. VISAs, registrations and all the other usual planning/travel requirements. Ammo reached out to the hip hop scene for support to raise funds through crowdfunding and praise God it was amazing to see the support she received.
” Bgirl Ammo”
Looking back on the China trip now I believe that my mentality and expectation of myself in breakin grew massively from here onwards. The trip was so unlike anything I had experienced before and it was kind of a turning point for me. China had such a crazy and high-level reputation and I couldn’t wait to witness this myself, I knew that this trip would impact my journey massively. This is why I am so grateful for the opportunity and thankful to the Hip Hop scene & Tech Styles for making it happen!
It is said that God works in mysterious ways and this is very true in the case of this trip. Director Lloyd Thompson BEM, is a strong Christian and ties all aspects of his life from work, family life to art and culture to the teachings of Jesus. He is guided by God for motivation, inspiration and for direction. What makes this expedition truly fascinating is that many years prior to this event, during the lockdown, Lloyd repeatedly felt God told him to begin learning Chinese (specifically Mandarin). Following this feeling he began to learn, not knowing or understanding what the future would hold. Even so Lloyd (Tranquil) studied diligently. He did not imagine he would be travelling to China in this capacity, as a mentor to one of his students, the sole representatives for the UK in this event. It was a massive fulfilment and foreshadowing that so much could be written about this alone. When recounting the visit, one thing for certain is that these language skills were essential and that it would not have been possible without them. So many things had to line up perfectly to make this trip happen. Even with the preparation before leaving, it took a lot of adjusting and mental fortitude to make it a success and we have to give a massive thanks to God for that.
We will let director Lloyd Thompson BEM describe the first day in his own words.
“Lloyd.Tranquil”
Arriving in Wuxi China the first night after a nearly 24 hrs travel, it was clear we would be in for quite the ride. Although Wuxi was a big city, it was not an international destination like major cities and capitals, the hotel only had one English-speaking person present at any single time. Outside of the hotel English speakers were almost non-existent. The first morning brought new challenge after new challenge.
As Ammo was resting up from the flight I headed out early, to get a head start and see if he could get a handle on the area to make things easier for us. Having staff in shock and/or too shy to communicate was a surprise especially when I hadn’t left the hotel yet. Most people spoke only a few words in Chinese whilst backing away in the other direction. On top of this, I then realised I also needed preexisting Chinese friends to authorise activation of the essential Chinese apps, that were recommended to my research, was another barrier. Nothing worked on my mobile, even with Wi-Fi many times it was sporadic. This was an entirely different online network system which didn’t favour the phones we had brought over from the West, ironically so as the phone was most likely made in China. After a few awkward conversations and trying to get a person the verify the apps. One reluctant hotel staff member finally agreed to vouch for me and although my confidence wasn’t super high at this moment, I felt happy and took the win. I headed out of the hotel only to be met by major roads with (4 lanes), with no traffic lights and no clear view of even how to get across the street. I had to wait for a local and watch someone who just stepped out into the road with cars not even stopping, they just slow down a little it was crazy to me but that’s how it was. I then tried to use google maps but as I said they did not work correctly and the app locations were out of date. I went to a location, and nothing would be there I was trying to find a simple corner shop or grocery store.
Once I finally got my bearings I headed to another location and the next shock was that I could not use any of my cards, they just looked at me like I was from the 1970’s when I presented my card to pay as they had face scanning machines which were linked to bank accounts, and they were not using cards. The first store gave me the apple I had tried to buy out of kindness, I could feel warning signs now. I made my way to the second larger store and the same thing happened, I could not pay. The owner brought out an old dusty card reader from a back room, like a piece of vintage technology, turned it on and we tried to use all 3 of my cards but no success. This store owner also proceeded to give me the water for free that I tried to buy, which again was very kind and very helpful as it was a majorly hot day.
This is when I really started to worry hahaha. I knew Ammo was at the hotel and I really wanted to have things under control by the time she woke up. I sat, ate my apple on the side of the road and drank my water and prayed for help. I took a photo of the spot I sat when I was passing again one night.
It was quite the moment but it’s these moments that make us or break us and this is part of the breakin, Hip Hop, arts and culture taking risks and getting out into the world. Having visited over 20 worldwide cities outside of the UK in a breakin capacity, this would take the number one spot for the most culturally different. Japan was also similar in a sense when visiting Osaka, however China had its own systems and the contrast felt greater. After collecting my thoughts and resting up I kept walking and discovered the main hub and a shopping centre and I felt a hope that I would be able to find shops inside that would allow cards. I entered a modern coffee house and asked the counter and once again, it was not possible to use any of the cards but just as I was about to take my worry to a whole new level, the waitress spoke to me in English and helped me to set up payments through an app Wexin Wechat, which I had verified that morning thank God and was able to pay through this app. I ordered the biggest breakfast I could and took a massive sigh of relief haha. About a few minutes after this Ammo called from her hotel room and I let her know I had everything under control hahaha.
From here it was all up, but every day up until the 4th day presented new challenges. By the time we left after a week everything was a breeze and we were both practically ‘locals’. This was a life changing trip and that is no exaggeration. I’m so glad I followed God’s word and began to learn the language years before I had any idea or opportunity to visit. The Chinese culture is fascinating; it’s another world with so many new sights and sounds. We packed so much into a short space of time and you would need at least a few months to get a more accurate picture of life in Wuxi never mind, China as a whole. I imagine it would take years of active research to get a wider view of China as a country.
This WDSF event was a major moment for many youths and the respective coaches. Many gathered from all over the world to represent their country and there was a real high energy and buzz from the start of the event up until we left Wuxi. The local government were supporting the event and everything had high end production. The stage was one of the biggest outdoor setups Tranquil and Ammo had ever seen and the sound from the speakers blasted across the city and could be heard from at least a mile away.
The atmosphere was electric and the first night witnessing the opening ceremony felt like a movie. The people, the energy and gatherings of countries from around the world really set the stage for the event as a whole. Many of those visiting were confined to the hotel due to the language barriers but Tranquil & Ammo were able to navigate the city and view the cultural spots from around Wuxi, visit local sights and taste local delicacies. They also ventured out to Taihu Lake away from the main city and into some remote areas. Every day brought a new adventure, which they met head on.
“Ammo”
One of my key memories from the trip was going out for food on the night. We would eat way later than normal. Also on nights walking back we’d pass through a park opposite the hotel. Every time it would be full of people doing crazy activities. Ping-pong, salsa, kung fu, squash, aerobics etc. this would be late at night, the norms there in comparison to the UK are crazy but I loved it. I imagine that in some cities breakers would be doing the same in their local park.
The range of dancers was so vast, with 200 competitors from over 30 countries some of the youth had a massive reputation within the scene and had been dancing for years, others competitors had only been dancing a few months but wanted the opportunity to represent their country at the event. There was also a big difference in the level of support for different countries some having their own dedicated areas, with 2-3 coaches and much bigger teams of dancers, which also meant a higher possibility of placing higher in the rankings. With the help of Tech Styles International, Ammo was able to raise the funds opposed to many countries who were fully supported. Two nights in the hotel were covered but this was a minimal expense in comparison to all other costs involved and the flights to get there in the first place. China and Japan for the most part had the biggest presence and the rivalry between these two countries was very high. The standard of the dancers was incredible and that being said it was France that took the win, it was amazing the see Bgirl Syssy and her unique style take the 1st place for France. Also shoutout to Bboy Ra1on (JP) and Bboy Raptor from Ukraine for representing strong.
At the end of the trip it was very special moment as Ammo and Tranquil were chosen to be part of a small select group, (including visitors from Hungary and India) that were taken on a special cultural day tour by the local government, this included an amazing river boat journey on the 2500 year old, ancient grand canal, an invitation to a 10 course banquet in the tradition Liang Xi district and a special traditional chinese musical theatre showing. It was an incredible moment and blessing for them, which gave the trip even more of a special feeling. A big recommendation if you are ever visiting Wuxi is to visit C-Fine, an amazing cafe restaurant that Ammo and Tranquil visited daily.
There is so much more that could be written but from here on we will let the photos, and the promo video do a lot of speaking for the trip, as to put it all into words would be more appropriate for a book than a blog post. We hope you enjoying looking at these photos and get a feel for Wuxi and their time spent in China and we also hope you enjoy watching the artistic recap of the event and time spent in Wuxi as a whole.
